Sensation Of Driving With MG 4 EVs, Cars That Are Selling At IIMS 2024

MG 4EV. (Photos: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - MG 4 EV managed to attract the interest of many consumers at the 2024 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) annual automotive exhibition which was held from February 15 to February 25 last month. MG 4 EV became the prima donna at IIMS 2024 by posting 1,125 Vehicle Ordering Letters (SPK) during the exhibition, signaling the high interest of Indonesian consumers in environmentally friendly electric cars.

MG 4 EV, which is now being assembled locally in Indonesia, also stole attention at prices that fell far from the initial price when it was launched last year as CBU. At that time, MG 4 EV had two variants with an Ignite price of IDR 649.9 million (OTR Jakarta) and Magnify i-Smart for IDR 699.9 million (OTR Jakarta).

During the IIMS 2024 automotive exhibition, only one variant was sold at a price of IDR 423 million, down IDR 10 million from its new price. The price is specifically for the first 3,000 consumers. Not only offering special prices, MG 4 EV consumers also get several attractive offers, including life-long battery guarantees and free maintenance for 5 years or 75,000 km.

Luckily, the VOI team got the opportunity to try out one MG 4 EV for several mid-March days. Interestingly, the car loaned by MG Motor Indonesia has the color Volcano Orange, the last color offered after Arctic White, Black Knight, Metal Ash Gray, Scarlet Red, and Brighton Blue.

Regarding the design of the MG 4 EV, this car was worked on by the Advanced Design Studio MG team in London, England, the country where this brand was born. The car design is quite aggressive and futuristic from front to back, with the headlights sandwiched and integrated with Daytime Running Light (DRL) using energy efficient LED technology. At the bottom of the headlights, there is a sein light with an elongated line shape from top down. While the interior design of this car has a minimalist theme with few physical buttons on the dashboard because almost all vehicle function settings are available on the head of the unit.

Feelings of Driving

Overall, the comfort offered when driving is very good, both from the driver's point of view and the rear passenger. The flat steering wheel on the top and bottom also feels comfortable to hold. For daily use, the performance offered by the electric crossover is more than sufficient. The power is sufficient to perform maneuvers at high speed, especially with Sport mode, and more importantly, the car feels very stable without any tendency to sway. Even when the VOI team tries to drive a car with four passengers with an average weight of over 65 kg, the car's performance is not affected.

For additional information, the MG4 EV is equipped with 5 driving modes: Snow, Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom. This car uses a battery with a capacity of 51 kWh capable of reaching a distance of up to 425 km when the battery is full. The electric motor has a maximum power of 125 kWh or the equivalent of 168 dk, with a peak torque of up to 250 Nm. MG also embeds complete and sophisticated safety features, such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

For the record, drivers who use MG 4 EV for the first time, such as European cars in general, may need adjustments to the position of the light lever on the left side of the steering wheel, not on the right like the common car in Indonesia. In addition, it may require adjustments to the setting of the majority of vehicle functions available in the head unit, and of course caution is needed in regulating these functions while driving.

A very useful additional feature that the VOI team encounters while driving is the Traffic Jam Assist, which allows drivers to relax more while in a traffic jam, especially on the streets of Jakarta where cars can stop and drive automatically in traffic jams. This function is supported by a radar system that can detect objects in front of the car and follow the vehicle in front of it. The Jam Assist traffic is part of a series of advanced assistant riders features known as the MG Pilot. In addition, the Front Collision Warning and AEB Brave Assist features allow cars to brake suddenly if the vehicles in front also brake suddenly, thus preventing collisions. There are also Near Collision Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Braking features to prevent rear collisions with vehicles or objects around them.

Conclusion

The MG 4 EV, which is now produced in Indonesia, offers an attractive combination of competitive performance, reach, and price. This car is the right choice for consumers who want to experience a pleasant and environmentally friendly electrical mobility experience.